The Pittsburgh Steelers seem, more than at any other time I can recall, to be exploring just about every opportunity they have available to them this offseason to try to improve the talent on their roster. They’ve gone after significant free agents. They’ve acquired talent via trade. They’ve traded talent for resources. They’ve moved up in the draft. They’re scouting the nooks and crannies. They’ve even been what I perceive to be unusually active on the tryout front this offseason.
That includes (at least) two invitations for two veteran inside linebackers to try out for them during this week’s mandatory minicamp. Among them is Nick Kwiatkoski, who is no stranger to the area as a Bethel Park native. “I grew up a Steelers fan”, he told Chris Adamski of the Pittsburgh Tribune-Review yesterday, calling his time in minicamp an “awesome opportunity”.
A 2016 fourth-round draft pick out of West Virginia by the Chicago Bears, Kwiatkoski spent his first four seasons there, where his time overlapped in parts with current teammates Mitch Trubisky, Anthony Miller, and James Daniels. He’s since logged two seasons with the Raiders and, most recently, with the Falcons in 2022. Now he’s looking for a job following the first season in his career in which he played zero defensive snaps. And he’s going to fake it ‘til he makes it.
“I came in, did my physical and am getting into practices and meetings and went through everything”, he told Adamski about his experience coming into Pittsburgh this week during minicamp, saying he is “on a ‘Going until someone tells me to stop’” basis.
Yesterday was the first of three days of practices in which he got the opportunity to participate, with two more to follow. Whether he will earn a contract to sign to the 90-man roster afterward remains to be seen, but the Steelers have been actively pursuing their options at the position.
Pittsburgh allowed both Devin Bush and Robert Spillane to walk via free agency without a fight and did not re-sign Marcus Allen. They also released Myles Jack, who was due $8 million in 2022. They even released Tae Crowder.
The only returning member of their inside linebacker room from last season is Mark Robinson, since joined by a trio of veterans signed via free agency in Cole Holcomb, Elandon Roberts, and Tanner Muse, who is primarily a special teamer.
Special teams is obviously a role that Kwiatkoski would have to fill if he were to make the team, and he has logged more than 1,000 snaps in that department since being drafted. While he did not see the field on defense for Atlanta last year, for example, he registered 228 special teams snaps in 12 games, finishing with seven tackles.
The Steelers have also been looking for special teamers this offseason. After all, they’ve lost a number of key contributors from that department, including the aforementioned Allen, as well as fullback Derek Watt, running back Benny Snell Jr., and outside linebacker Jamir Jones, all of whom logged 200-plus special teams snaps in 2022.
